Vehicle spring hanger



v l '1,625,023 Alm] 19 1927' w. R. GARDNER VEHICLE SPRFNG HANGER FiledJan. 2. 1926 Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES Param oFFIcE.

WILLIAM R. GARDNER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTI-IT0 WALLACE IB. TRUSLOW AND C. C. POST AND ONE-TENTH TO I). G. COLLINS,ALL 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE SPRING HANGER.

Application led January 2, 1926. Serial No. 78,854.

The present invention relates to counterpoising mechanism adapted yforuse in hanging vehicle springs, and comprehends certain elements capableof absorbing the jars and vibrations ordinarily transmitted to thechassis by the ordinary vehicle springs. The device serves to hold thebody of the vehicle in counterpoised position relative to the wheels andaxle, whereby the jar incident to the vehicle wheels striking anobstruction will be cushioned and absorbed. My invention includes acounterbalancing lever and other elements for suspension so arrangedthat the vehicle body, owing to its weight and inertia while the vehicleis in motion, will tend to advance in its normal path of movement, whilethe wheels and axle are sustaining vertical vibrations from obstructionsand inequalities of the road, the device simultaneously snubbing theaction of the springs and counterpoising the vehicle body.

With my combined lever and toggle mechanism as arranged in the presentinvention, the vehicle body and chassis will, if they have verticalmovement at all, move in opposed relation to the movements of the wheelsand axle, and this is eiective in maintaining the vehicle springspractically at a constant tension, thereby minimizing fatigue andfracture of the springs. In addition to stabilizing the chassis andbody, the arrangement permits the vibratory movement of the wheels andaxle without lifting the body and chassis, thus avoiding much of thestrain on wheels and axle such as occurs with the usual method ofhanging the springs.

An advantage of the invention resides in the simplicity of the device,its inexpensive Construction, the entire avoidance of springs in itsconstruction, and the ease with which it maybe applied to the standardtype of vehicle for which it is designed, without changing thestructural parts of the vehicle,

or of the vehicle springs.

In my prior invention of vehicle spring counterpoise suspension,disclosed in application Serial Number 55,035, tiledV September 8, 1925,the vehicle axle tends to turn upon itself thereby causing alongitudinalvibration of the vehicle body, although checking vertical vibrations. Toavoid this difiiculty, the present invention provides an additionallever extending in opposed relation to the counterpoising lever, andconnected to a vertically disposed bracket, the arrangement being suchthat the vehicle axle has a free vertical movement, but the tendency toturn upon itself is checked and avoided, and longitudinal vibratorymovement of the vehicle body is eliminated as well as any verticalvibratory movement thereof.

The present invention contemplates the application of verticallydisposed bracket elements afiixed to the vehicle axle, and a leverconnected to each bracket element whereby the counterpoising leverattains a greater radius of action for neutralizing the shocks and jarsincident to the travel of the vehicle wheels over obstructions andinequalities of the road.

The present invention is an improvement over the device shown in myapplication for a patent, for motor vehicle spring shackle, filed Mayl2, 1925, Serial Number 29,722, in which the supporting lever waschecked by a spring in its upward movement but was not checked in itsdownward movement. In the present invention this diiiiculty is avoidedby providing an additional and opposed lever arranged to check both theupward and downward movements of the supporting lever.

The present invention has another advantage in that both forward andrear sections of each vehicle spring are utilized in maintaining thecounterpoise of the vehicle body relative to the wheels and axle thussetting up a full lioating action between the chassis and the vehicleaxle.

By such construction it will be noted that the vehicle body and chassiswill, through their weight and inertia, serve as a fulcrum, for thevehicle springs and for the counterpoise levers, and that the remainingshackle elements serve to transmit all vibratory movements of the wheelsand axle'to the opposed sections of the springs to be absorbed by thesame, the arrangement provided serving to change the maximum vibratorymovements of the wheels and axle to infinitesimal flexing movements ofthe vehicle springs, and the stability of the vehicle body remainscomparatively undisturbed.

While the drawings exhibit an embodiment of the invention I have foundthe Sill limits theaction of he counte L .Fi-g. 5 is Cr-fron; view of a'clip for securing r responding slcttedend in at `they vehicle 'sed mostdesirable in actual usm-'l deeire it uuderstod that l reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the merhanical changes to Which the deviceis susceptible, the invention helinglleued vund 'limited only lof/"theterms of "the l appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation showing e fragment ot avehicle chassis, a rear vehicle spring, and my improvet counterpoiseshackle vsuspension applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thecounterpoising lever. Fig. e sideivievv Gtthe countergoisinglever. Fig.Ll is :i top r:plan *view of" the `ieqiutilizing lever `whicheising'lever.

fthe equaizing lev r to 'Si vehiclespring'.

Fig. 6 isfa perspective die-teil v'eiv otra sup- :porting' 'bracket'adapted to heeecured to 'the vehicle 'af-lle y'end lhaving pivotalYconnection with an equalizing lever. Fig. T is -a fragmentary andsectie-nel vdetail :view `rshowing' Athe vroller en the en d ot'nnequalizinfgv lever-end;adapted toA ge ivithffe. corounte-rpoismg lever.V

In the application otthedevice, each-vehic'lespringmay hefprovided withmy improved counterpoise suspensiony'he forms7 sizes, and location ofthe'elements heilig mcdilied 'inaccordzince with theidimen'sions Vandcharacter @teach vehicle sgring.

4"fires'uming thel'invention tov he ein-bodied inthe form illust-rated,the elementsfrc- 'erred to Vembody' e 'eonnterpc-ise lever ll, in-

terposed Abetween the rear'extren'iity 19, foi

the-clieseis and the reareye-'end lll, of vehicle "s1 ring l5.lleverllfhes e, hi'lurcated-v endA 16, "pivotal-ly "cennected by vholt17. tothe e'nd l2, el the chassis lmr. `rlhe vehfportion'l, rhet "eenezms 1950i thehifurcated end 16, is providedwvitlr an' eye-end 20,pivotally connectedy to vehicle shackle link 2l, the 'relatively' long"arm 22,01. leverl. 'havingslotted evtreinityl. An equelizing 44lever*24* is vpivotally cem'iected yte n si'lpportiiig memher Q5, `which`=eervesf as e 'clip tor retainingllm position et theleziif'es ofvehiffe spring l5. 'l ver 'f3-il is'provii'led with" `"liized holt or'he 5 member 26. on ivhich is"mounted :i lroller 2T. leptedftc work-'inthe eletted eztremily 2.37ct ce1/interpo'ise lever ll. Il Support' Ylir-ficliet '28 isvixefl'te the Yeni-cle axle, 'leing'eeciired hy -leholt Q9. "llhehracket 28 has zr threaded end 30,011 whichis mounted a*siidalole sleevev 3l. ysecured hylock or nin-ts Sleeve8l'isfpivotally*connected to a hefring' member l33,;projectingfromlever" 24.

*lllhat 'is claimed is:

f l. rThe' cemh'inatien with e ycounterpoise lever havingarelativelyshe-ru arm con-nected to the automobile chassis, of" a:shackle linkpivo'tfrlly Yximxf-cted te the eounterpeise il lever lever`-zidlincent -to its-connectienY with the 'chassis :ind hfrviiigits'cqiposite end.pivotally connected to the eye-end ot the vehicle .f3u relatively long :trui on the counterc-ieiiding 'ah-cve the vvehiclespring', :i bracketektendingr upwttfx'lly from the vehic`e` axle. n'"equzilizinglev'er pivotally connected relative to the bracket andhaving` e relatively short arm and 2L relatively --leng'zirnn end-meansfor comnecting,` the loner arm to the vehicle s rino' and the short ofvthe 'counterpoi'se flever.

2,'l`he combination with 'un zmtemohil'e l i e.Tzineyelendfendfa:vehicle x. nn-'feye-end adjacent-'5to te `the chassis,ritscentral portion le axle, zfind its'fcpposite o. eetedv to the"chaesisgol'fa Y t the vehicew-le, and extending fupwerdly. acounterp'ose lever a pivotal"ce-nnectionwvithllthe-"eyeendetthe chassis;and 4li'e'ving iitsffree'v end extending"- he tween 'ft-h e vehiclespring ant v the chassis an ecuuhzin 0' 'leverI 'eennectedito 'i l a the"bracket fextremity yand E'its extremities connected, respectively, tothearfm roti the 'counterpeise` "lever-r between 'the fepring andchassis, und Eto the ivehicle 'spring 'adjacent toits conneetientethe'chassigfandia'sheeke link eonneeted'tc the vcounterpose lever'f'in-'termediete ot'ts ends.' :and connected'tothe free eye-end of thevehicle spring.

ln `er'counterpoise spring' suspensiony for e eeprin'e the combination/Withfthe lele c'hzissi r-ir-havi-i?A irneye-'ench and Ivehicle springhavin'gien eyeLenid'Ilidjzlcent to the eye-end et*thefchessisleer,fenil=lmv ing itsl 'opposite f 'eye-end connected ito? ithe chassis "har `andits centrali Uortioni'conpoise everI havingh a`^zrel'ativelyY short arm'and a re'letrvely longe 'erin' and. yits zfulcrum end of the chassishanen( itsflong arm 'eX- tendine' between' the "vehicle "spriugmndchassis# lien shecklelliuks'connected to' the ceunterpoiee lever ai' itsfucrim'ifpointi and 'connected to the vehicle spring. en equalmeinh'e rsprl djaceiit lo opposite' eii'd "end connected 4to Caid l'ongfzi-rm oitthe'counter- 'poise-lever to -limitthe movement thereof, und" e,siipp'ortingf:member"extendingv upiverdlyzfrom the acleen'dsupp'ortingthe equalizing memher-"hetween fits extremities.

ln In" a 'counterp'oi-se" sp'ringysuspension for vehicles 'thecombination ywith 'a `vehicle chassis bar and :i vehiclespring"eXteHdingybeneath -l'he 'chaissis'iharg'ot a? hrelfetifik'ed to' the: axleancl``ezten-`cliiig-,upwardly there- Vtrein., 'shackle links "extendingupwardly from theend ofthe vehicle spring; acounte'r- 'poise leversupported lay-said shackleilinls 'connected te 'the f vehicle` andhaving one end connected to the end of the chassis bar, said lever andlink arrangement causing a forward thrust of the counterpoising lever onthe upward movement of the vehicle axle, an equalizing lever pivotallyconnected relative to the upwardly extending bracket and having one endconnected to the forward portion of the vehicle spring, and a -rollermounted on the opposite end of the equalizating lever and working in acorresponding slot in the end of the counterpoising lever.

5. In a counterpoise spring suspension for vehicles, the combinationwith a vehicle chassis bar and a vehicle spring extending beneath thechassis bar, and the. vehicle axle, of a bracket fixed to the axle andextending upwardly t-herefrom and terminating intermediate the chassisbar and axle, and serving to Shift the vibratory movement of the axle tosaid intermediate point, a counterpoise lever having opposed lever arms,one serving as a Weight arm and the other as a power arm, and having anintermediate fulcrum point at the junction of said arms and having theweight arm pivotally connected to the end of the chassis bar, a shacklelink connected at one end to the said ful-.

crum point of the counterpoise lever, and having its opposite endconnected to the eyeend of the vehicle spring, whereby said fulcrumpoint is beyond a plane passing through the ends of chassis bar andvehicle spring, a clip' mounted on the opposite and forward end of thevehicle spring, an equalizing lever having one end povitally connectedto the clip, a roller on the opposite end of the equalizing lever andworking in a corresponding slot in the free power arm of thecounterpoise lever, and a pivotal connection between the bracket and anintermediate point on the equalizing lever.

6. In a counterpoise spring suspension for vehicles, the combinationwith the vehicle axle, vehicle spring, and vehicle chassis bar, of abracket fixed to the axle and extending upwardly therefrom, acounterpoise lever having one end pivotally connected to the chassis barand extending in the plane of the chassis bar and vehicle spring, andadapted for vertical oscillating movement between the spring and chassisbar, a link connected tov the counterpoise lever and connected to thefree end of the vehicle spring, an equalizing lever pivotally connectedrelative to the bracket, a clip member fixed to the opposite end of thevehicle spring and having a pivotal connection with the equalizinglever, and a roller and slot connection between the free ends of thecounterpoise lever and equalizing lever.

7. In a counterpoise spring suspension for vehicles, a vehicle springextending from the axle of the vehicle, a chassis bar above the spring,a bracket extending upwardly from the axle and terminating between thechassis bar and axle, said bracket serving to transmit the vibratorymovements of the axle to an intermediate point between the spring andchassis bar, an equalizing lever having one end connected to the forwardend of the vehicle spring, and being connected pivotally relative to thebracket at an intermediate point on the equalizing lever, a counterpoiselever pivotally connected to the eye-end of the chassis bar, shacklelinks connected to an intermediate point on the counterpoise lever, andto the free end of the vehicle spring, and a working connection betweenthe free end of the counterpoise lever' and the free end of theequalizing lever.

8. In a counterpoise spring suspension for vehicles, the combinationwith a chassis bar and a vehicle spring extending beneath the chassisbar, and a vehicle axle, said spring and chassis bar each having aneye-end, of a bracket fixed to the axle and extending upwardlytherefrom, pivotal connection elements mounted on the bracket, means foradjusting the pivotal connecting elements vertically on the bracket, atwo-armed counterpoise lever having a medial fulcrum point and arelatively short weight arm and a relatively long power arm, a pivotalconnection between the weight arm and the eye-end of the chassis bar, ashackle link pivotally connected to the counterpoise lever and itsfulcrum point, and pivotally connected to the eye-end of the vehiclespring, said fulcrum point being off-set relative to a plane passingthrough the eyeends of the chassis bar and spring, an equalizing levermounted on the pivotal connecting elements on the bracket, a clipsecured to the vehicle spring adjacent to its forward end, a pivotalconnection between the equalizing lever and clip, and a slidableconnection between the power arm of the counterpoise lever and the freeend of the equalizing lever.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atlix my signature.

- WILLIAM R. GARDNER.

